The present invention relates to a printing system and to a printer unit for use in such a system.
In the state of the art, a number of printers arranged to be manually placed on an image receiving medium are known. The printing means of the printer or the entire printer is operable to scan over the image receiving medium in the printing operation. Thus, the medium is not fed through the printerxe2x80x94as in most office sheet printers, but the printer is placed upon the medium.
Such a printer is known from EP 564297-A. The printer has an ink jet print head which is scanning in two orthogonal directions over the image receiving medium, onto which the printer is placed manually. The printer is connected to a computer and capable e.g. of printing addresses onto envelopes, but can also be used separately from the computer for printing data downloaded from the computer to the printer.
Another ink jet printer to be placed on a printing medium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,730 A. This printer is provided with a keyboard for data inputting, but can also print images downloaded from a computer. The print head scans over the image receiving medium along a special path, e.g. helically or like a pendulum. It can print data downloaded from a computer or one of a set of predetermined words such as xe2x80x9cPAIDxe2x80x9d etc.
DE 3142937-A refers to a so-called hand stamp which is placed manually on the image receiving medium. It can print data downloaded from an accounting machine, or images consisting of user-selected fixed phrases. The hand stamp has a thermal print head and an ink ribbon for printing.
The printers known in the prior art are thus capable of printing an image onto an image receiving medium, and make use of a scanning print head. Printing is performed in two steps: the first one is alignment of the printer on the image receiving medium such that the image can be printed in the desired position and the second step is printing. However, although the printers can communicate with a computer to receive data to be printed, that is the limit of their interaction. There is no other active cooperation between the printer unit and a computer.
It is one aim of the present invention to provide a printing system in which there is more active cooperation between a computer and the printer unit.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a printing system comprising:
a printing unit;
a base station configured to receive the printing unit when not in use and having means for detecting movement of the printing unit from the base station;
a computer connected to the base station and configured to execute a printing application for generation of printing data for the printing unit,
wherein said printing application is initiated by the computer when movement of the printing unit from the base station is detected.
Another aim of the invention is to provide a printer unit for use in a printing system which has a wider range of user interface functions.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a printing system comprising:
a printing unit; and
a computer connectable to the printing device and configured to execute a printing application for generation of printing data for transmission to said printing device for printing;
wherein the printing system includes a memory which holds a plurality of default printing data options each having associated therewith a time activation period and means for determining the time at which the printing application is initiated, wherein the printing application includes a default output sequence for generating one of said default printing data options in accordance with the detected time of initiation of the printing application.
This allows a user profile to be recognized so that the printing system is responsive to a user""s requirements. The memory may be in the computer or within the printing unit.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a printer adapted for communication with a host computer, the printer comprising:
communication means for receiving printing data to be printed from the host computer while a communication link exists between the printer and the host computer, said printing data defining a sequence of images to be printed;
a data path for conveying data received at the communication means to a printing mechanism for printing said data;
a user input means for instigating a print command; and
a controller connected to the printing mechanism and operable to allow the printing mechanism to print successive images in the sequence, each successive image being printed responsive to the user instigated print command.
This feature can be used with the printer connected to the computer and for receiving successive images therefrom, or at a location remote from the host computer when the communication link is broken. In that case, the printer can have a store for holding the printing data.
In addition, this aspect of the invention provides a method of printing a series of images comprising:
establishing a communication link between a printer and a host computer;
transferring printing data defining said images from the host computer to the printer;
breaking the communication link and moving the printer unit to a location remote from the host computer; and
at the remote location, printing successively each image in the sequence responsive to a user instigated print command at the printer unit at said remote location.
According to an alternative aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of printing a series of images comprising:
establishing a communication link between a printer and a host computer, the printer including user input means for instigating a print command; and
successively transferring printing data defining each image in the sequence from the host computer to the printer and printing said each image responsive to a user instigated print command.
Another aspect of the invention provides a printing system comprising:
a printing unit including user input means for instigating a print command;
a base station configured to receive the printing unit when not in use;
a computer connected to the base station and configured to execute a printing application for generation of printing data for the printing unit, the computer comprising a keyboard; and
wherein execution of the printing application is interrupted by operation of any key on the keyboard of the computer or the user input means on the printing unit.
One key of the keyboard may be defined as a xe2x80x9chot keyxe2x80x9d which remains active as the application is running such that when the hot key is depressed, a particular function is initiated.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.